Little Beetle: Time is Vast
by Sparrow-Talon
Summary: Saba Roja is a 12-year-old boy who keeps having nightmares... the strange thing is that the nightmares happen. Will this drive him insane, or will someone help him?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

 _Green eyes opened blurrily and gazed around; the room was bare and dark._

 _"Begin phase one" a scary male voice ordered._

 _Black liquid began filling the container the boy was in. Panic filled him and he slammed his olive hands against the glass._

 _"Let Me Out!" the 12-year-old shouted, the sticky liquid was slightly past his waist and was climbing fast._

 _The voice didn't listen._

 _The black rose over his spine and soon it was coving the kid's head._

 _The boy felt like he was being ripped open and turned inside out._

 _He opened his mouth..._

...and snapped awake, screaming.

The boy gasped for breath as he tried to calm his beating heart.

A woman ran in and stopped, her eyes held sadness and defeat when her eyes landed on the boy.

"Oh Saba" she whispered before calling out the door, "Claire, can you assure the other's?"

"Of course, Mary" a voice responded before the clicking of high-heels faded.

Mary walked forward and held out her hand, "come on Saba, let's go get some milk"

The boy tentatively took her hand and she led him out of the small room and into the long halls.

Saba kept his head down as he passed the other's rooms and he slowly made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen. The 12-year-old sat at a table while the worker went to the fridge and got a cup ready with milk.

 _Saba ran out of the emergency room, panic allowing adrenaline to make him go faster._

 _He looked behind him and stumbled into the middle of the road during rush hour. An SUV was going too fast to stop in time._

 _The boy brought his arms up to block his head._

 _Cool, metal hands grabbed him and lifted him out of the way of the car. Saba screeched and began thrashing in the iron grip._

 _"¡Whoa! ¡ Chico Cálmate! ¡ No te haré daño!" the familiar voice of El Paso's hero caused the boy to go limp._

 _Scared green eyes looked at the Scarab-Wielder carrying him. He looked so much more than he did on the News. The News didn't capture the shades of blue and black his armour was, it didn't catch the seriousness in his eyes, heck, it didn't even catch how young and different this Blue Beetle was compared to the previous Blue Beetle._

 _The Beetle landed on a building and carefully set the boy down._

 _"Are you alright?"_

 _Saba looked himself up and down before nodding, mutely._

 _Blue Beetle let out a relieved breath and gave a soft "good" before holding out his hand._

 _"Let's get you home than"_

Saba screamed and held his head; bloody tears fell from his closed eyes.

"SABA!" gentle hands caught him as he fell from his seat and held him to their soft chest.

"...Please Help! It's Saba, one of my charges, he just collapsed and he's bleeding from his eyes! …." two fingers pressed against his neck, "his pulse is rapid... he's been having nightmares... Okay" the position shifted, "Saba, Saba can you hear me?"

Saba continued to scream, his head felt as if it were spitting.

"H-he's still screaming, oh God, he's in so much pain" Mary sobbed as she held the boy closer to her chest, her should holding her phone to her ear, "pl-please help"

Saba continued to whither so the Emergency Crew entered sedatives into his bloodstream, that only made it worse.

"Ma'am has he been on any medication?" one of the crew asked as they held the boy down.

Mary sniffed, "ju-just 4.1.1 Prazosin... he was one of the Reach captives and began having nightmares... so, the doctor prescribed it"

The woman nodded and injected a strong sedative into the boy.

His withering stopped and he fell still; bloody tears still slid down his cheeks.


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

Saba blinked open his eyes and looked around. The room was familiar but not familiar. It was bare, dark and creepy. Saba flinched when a scary male voice from his nightmare sounded.

"Begin phase one!"

A hiss sounded before black liquid began filling the container. A raging flare of panic filled him and he banged his hands on the glass.

'Let Me Out!' the boy's voice wouldn't work.

The liquid was to his waist and climbing faster.

The liquid flowed up and up, closer to concealing him in its tar-like essence. His head was covered and the feeling of being ripped apart filled him, it was worse than the nightmare.

He floated slightly and curled up, screaming into the liquid.

The liquid soon faded away and a sharp object was clipped to the back of Saba's neck. The boy laid on the floor of the container, panting and shivering. The door slid open and the container's glass disappeared. Saba looked up and saw the Markovian Regent.

 **Stand.**

The boy stiffened when a dark voice entered his head and before he knew what was happening, he was standing. The regent grinned.

 **Good. Now, show me your Meta-Gene.**

Nothing happened. Saba didn't move nor did he do any special powers.

 **I said, "Show me your Meta-Gene"**

Still nothing.

The man scowled and walked forward before tearing a small, badge-like thing off Saba's neck. The boy gasped, the feeling of control returned.

"Another failure, kill him" the man snarled as he left.

The 12-year-olds eyes widened before he ran to the door, renewed panic filling him. He grabbed the handle and pulled and pulled but the door wouldn't budge. Heat fell onto the boy's back and he turned and gasped in fear. A giant lava monster was walking towards him, the intent to kill radiating from it.

Saba pulled against the door harder, it creaked at the vigor. A burning hand grabbed his shoulder and Saba screamed as the lava bit into his skin. The monster threw him into the opposite wall. The 12-year-old cried out and fell limp when his back hit the cold metal.

The monster grinned and walked towards him again. Saba blinked dizzily at the creature.

 _The door opened and a young Markovian woman entered, she stared in shock before screaming and running out, leaving the door open._

Saba blinked and looked at the door when it opened. The same woman walked in, saw the creature heading to the boy, screamed and ran. Saba took a shaky breath before putting his hands under him and pushing himself to his feet. He felt adrenaline pump through him and he ran for the door.

The creatures fiery fist came towards him and he slid under it. Once he got to the door, the boy slammed it closed behind him and continued running.

He ran through another door, through the hospital, through the front doors of the hospital. He looked behind him to make sure no one was following, a car sped towards him when he looked back and he covered his face. Cool, metal hands grabbed him and lifted him out of the way of the car. Saba screeched and began thrashing in the iron grip.

"¡Whoa! ¡ Chico Cálmate! ¡ No te haré daño!" the familiar voice of El Paso's hero caused the boy to go limp.

Scared green eyes looked at the Scarab-Wielder carrying him. He looked so much more than he did on the News. The News didn't capture the shades of blue and black his armour was, it didn't catch the seriousness in his eyes, heck, it didn't even catch how young and different this Blue Beetle was compared to the previous Blue Beetle.

A strong sense of Deja-Vu filled the boy. The new Blue Beetle landed on a rooftop and gently put the boy down.

Blue Beetle looked at him, worry in his hidden brown eyes.

"Are you alright?"

Saba bit his bottom lip, looked down and nodded.

A soft breath and 'good' came from the bug and he held out his hand.

"Let's get you home than"

Saba blinked, feeling tears well up, and stepped back, shaking his head.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" the El Paso hero asked softly.

Saba remained silent, his hand gripping the burn. The hero's eyes widened when he saw the blistering burn.

"Dios mío" the man breath, shock and fear in his eyes, "who did this?"

Saba glanced up at him before quickly looking back down. Blue Beetle sighed softly and knelt down, his eyes holding no pity, no sympathy nor did they hold judgement, all they held was a calm understanding.

Saba felt as if he could tell the man anything and everything. The boy opened his mouth and spoke for the first time in two years.

He told the hero everything. From being captured by the Reach to the Lava Monster. The Beetle just listened, a frown growing on his face and worry filling his calm.

Saba broke down after he finished and Blue Beetle held him, speaking softly into his ear, promising that it would get better, that he would be safe. And Saba believed him.


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

Saba followed Blue Beetle into a building that looked like one of the Meta-Human Youth Centers from the television.

"What are we doing here?" the boy asked quietly, shifting closer to the Beetle as strangers looked over.

"I brought you here to help you get control over your Metagene" Blue Beetle explained softly, "don't worry, I will be here for as long as you want me to"

Saba nodded and they entered a large room with chairs in a circle, like a therapy group. Two chairs were empty.

"Beetle, was wondering when the two of you will get here" a light brown skinned male with triangle-shaped black hair greeted the El Paso hero, the two hugged.

Beetle pulled away first, "Ed, this is Saba, he was on the Reach ship"

Ed looked at Saba and Saba shrunk and hid behind the Beetle's metal leg.

"Well Saba, we will be happy to help you" Ed smiled kindly.

Saba nodded slightly but stayed where he was. Saba cautiously followed the metal hero to the chairs and only sat down when encouraged by the other. Blue Beetle took the seat next to him.

Ed spoke about how the Metagene was a gift, not a curse. Then they went around talking about their Metagenes and counseling each other.

"Saba, would you like a turn" Ed asked not unkindly.

Saba shook his head and looked at his lap.

"That's alright, take your time, we have these sessions everyday, twice on Fridays" Ed said in a nice tone.

Saba nodded in understanding.

* * *

That night, Saba slept in a room with three others, a curtain surrounding each bed so that there was some privacy.

 _A boy, no older than 19 years of age laid unconscious on a metal slab. His shirt off and back exposed. A small blue beetle was attached to his spine, in between his shoulder blades._

 _"Wake him up" a dark and deadly voice demanded, "I want him to be awake for this"_

 _Water was dumped on his head, snapping him awake._

Saba awoke and looked around. Soft rays of moonlight shone from the window next to his bed.

Saba felt scared. The boy, whoever he was, was in danger. The boy meant something to Saba in some way, Saba knew this because he never had Deja-Vu dreams about anyone else unless if he was somehow involved. This however, felt like he wasn't there.


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

Saba clung to Blue Beetle's hand; afraid that if he let go, the Deja-Vu would happen. He had three more of the Deja-Vu sequences, in the sequences he found out the boy was Blue Beetle and he watched how... how they...

Now, Saba was being clingy to the Beetle to make sure he didn't...

Saba followed him to the group counseling room, sat down and listened to the others.

The room suddenly changed.

 _Saba looked around; it was the same room as the torture chamber._

 _"Wake him up" the dark voice commanded, "I want him to be awake for this"_

 _Water was thrown on the Beetle's head, snapping him awake. He looked around with scared brown eyes._

 _"Where am I? What's going on? Who are you?" the 19-year-old demanded as he tugged on the rope._

"Saba"

 _"I am Darkseid" the dark voice said and a sandy man-thing with a weird face and red eyes stepped in front of the Beetle, "and you will help me in my conquest"_

 _Blue Beetle glared, "I'd rather die"_

 _"Then die you shall"_

Saba blinked and he was back in the counseling room. Beetle looking at him in concern.

"You alright?"

Saba nodded.

"You sure?"

He nodded again.

The El Paso Hero nodded, though Saba could tell he didn't believe him.

* * *

Saba snapped awake with a gasp before curling up, knees to his chin and arms wrapped around his legs.

That scream, it was horrible.

He shivered and stared out at the moon; he could see a figure that looked like a humanoid bug flying in front of it.

"I'm sorry" the 12-year-old whispered brokenly as he curled up tighter, "I'm so sorry"


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

It was the third month of group conversations when Saba got an extremely bad feeling, the two entered the room and Saba frowned at the older female.

"Blue!" she raced over to the El Paso Hero and the two hugged.

"Hey Traci" Beetle chuckled before looking down at Saba, "Traci, this is Saba, Saba this is my girlfriend Traci 13"

Saba examined her, for some reason his instincts told him not to trust her.

"It's really nice to meet you Saba" Traci smiled kindly at him.

He gave a small nod, silently saying that it was nice to meet her too.

"What are you doing here, Traci?" Beetle asked.

"Oh, just wanted to see you"

Saba glared at her, not trusting her words one bit. He opened his mouth when an explosion rocked the building. Everyone was on high alert instantly.

"Saba, go to the evac' spot!" Blue Beetle ordered.

Saba hesitated before doing as he was told. He ran, but skidded to a stop and hid in a corner as heavily armed people walked past. He waited before heading out, he turned down another corner and bumped into someone. Both he and that someone fell to the ground.

He looked at them quickly and relaxed, it was one of the meta-human trainees.

"Saba?"

He nodded before grabbing her hand and running; the girl willingly followed. Saba suddenly skidded to a stop and pulled the girl into another hallway, he gestured up towards an airshaft and the girl understood.

She boosted him up and held his ankles as he forced the vent open and climbed in, a few seconds later he reappeared and held his hands out for her to grab. She did so and he pulled her up, closing the shaft in time as a patrol of the enemy walked down the halls.

"How did you know this was here?" the girl asked in a whisper after the patrol turned the corner.

Saba glanced at her before pointing to inbetween his shoulder-blades than putting his hands to his forehead, making what looked like antlers.

"Blue Beetle told you?" the girl questioned after figuring it out, Saba nodded.

The boy looked behind him before shifting and began crawling, the girl followed.

"Where are we going?"

Saba didn't answer.

The girl followed him through the twists and turns of the shaft.

"Do you know where you're going?"

Again, Saba didn't answer.

She grabbed his shoulder, "Saba!"

He turned and covered her mouth, gazing at her with annoyed eyes.

"Where are we going?" the girl demanded.

Saba glanced at the way he was heading before looking back at her with an 'isn't it obvious?' look. He continued to crawl before stopping over a vent exit/entrance. The girl stopped behind him.

Saba let out a soft gasp and his eyes clenched closed tightly.

"Saba?" the girl looked at him concerned as he froze up.

 _Storm clouds covered the sky as ash drifted to the ground. Sabadaroder looked around, his vision covered in a goldish haze._

 _"Little Brother" Sabadaroder turned without trying and there stood a large, muscular Black Beetle._

 _Sabadaroder tried to back away, tried to run, but his body wouldn't move. He spoke without his will._

 _"Older Brother, is there something you needed?"_

 _'Get Away! Move!' Sabadaroder yelled, but nothing happened._

 _"Scientist insisted that I escort you to the next 'Check Up'"_

 _"Very well"_

 _Sabadaroder entered a familiar room after Black Beetle. The Reach Scientist barely looked over from a table as she addressed them._

 _"Wait right there, I am almost done"_

 _Sabadaroder stopped._

 _"You are dismissed Warrior"_

 _Black Beetle left and Sabadaroder stayed._

 _"STOP! PLEASE STOP!"_

 _A young voice cried in fear and pain, Scientist moved and Sabadaroder saw a young, skinny boy with auburn hair and eyes the color of a summers' leaf._

 _"Sit here" the Reach Scientist directed to Sabadaroder and he did._

 _The Reach Scientist moved out of his peripheral vision and when he tried to, he didn't move, not even a centimeter. He felt something touch his back and shivered slightly._

 _"Scientist, report to Lab 12 for extraction"_

 _"Wait here"_

 _Scientist left and Sabadaroder moved._

 _He headed to the boy and the boy looked even more terrified. That terror turned to shock, confusion, surprise and suspicion. He released the kid but a hand, not his, held the kid down._

 _Sabadaroder leaned close to the kids ear and spoke._

 _"Find the Metahuman called Neutron. Create a time machine and save Jaime Reyes's life, protect him. Keep him from being put On Mode, keep him safe, keep him alive. He is the reason this is happening. Keep this from happening, Bart Allen."_

"Saba!"

Saba's eyes snapped open and he looked over to her. She searched his eyes.

"Are you alright?"

He didn't respond, he instead returned his gaze to the air vent. A group of the attackers walked past, one of them stopped and looked around before following the rest.

Saba inhaled before releasing the breath. He crawled over the screen and the girl followed. They were halfway to the exit when the vent right under Saba broke and Saba yelped when pale hands wrapped around him and took pulled through the break.

"SABA!"

Saba crashed on the ground with a gasp and blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision.

"Why hello there" a deformed creature purred, "Rolo, tell the boss we found him"


End file.
